Humidifying device



Aug. 4, 1931. E. c. ROSENOW HUMI IFYING DEVICE 4 Filed Oct. 1, 1928 2Sheets- Sheet 1 Patented Aug. 4, 1931 PATENT oricr.

EDWARD C. ROSENOW, OF ROCHESTER, MINNESOTA V HUMIDIFYING DEVICEApplication filed October 1, 1928. Serial No. 309,449.

7 This invention relates to an air humidifying, cleansing andsterilizing device, and while the invention may have variousapplications, it is particularly designed for use. in 5 connection witha radiator such as the heat.- ing radiators commonly used in dwellingsand other buildings. The importance of having such a device is beingrecognized more and more by architects and heating engineers and suchdevices are now being installed in large numbers.

In such a device using absorbent sheets it is desirable to have ahumidifying unit which can be easily made and assembled and which can"be easily transported and installed, whether in the original structureor as a re placement.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide a simple, neatand efficient humidifying device adapted to be conveniently supportedupon or in a radiator.

It is another object of the invention to provide a humidifying devicecomprising a simple and efficient absorbing unit which can be easilymade and assembled and easily transported and installed. 1

' It is more specifically an object of the invention to provide ahumidifying device comprising areceptacle adapted to contain liquid, andhaving spaced, narrow, longitudinally extending portions with aconnecting portion at one end adapted to be disposed upon or in aradiator, together with an absorbent unit comprising absorbent sheetsdisposed in said spaced portions and having transverse sheets engagedand supported thereby and extending transversely therebetween.

It is also an object of the invention-to provide a humidifying unitcomprising spaced absorbent sheets having their lower portions submergedin liquid and having a plurality of absorbent sheets engaging the same,along a line and extending therebetween above the liquid. I 1

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in I which:

Fig. 1 is a view inside elevation of the device applied to the radiator,some parts being broken away and others shown in vertical section;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device, some parts being broken awayand other parts shown in horizontal section;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken substan- 1 tially on line 3-3 of Fig.1, as indicated by the arrows, the entire radiator being shown;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the arrangement of the absorbentsheets used;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the liquid receptacle used;

Fig. 6 is a view in side elevation of an absorbent sheet used; 3

Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of an other absorbent sheet used;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of theinvention; Fig. 9 is a vertical section taken on line 9+9 of Fig. 8, asindicated by the arrows; Fig. 10 is a plan view of the device shown inFig. 8, some parts being broken away and others shown in horizontalsection;

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of an absorbent'unit used;

Fig. 12 is a plan view of the unit in col I lapsed position;

. Fig. 18 is a view in side elevation of one absorbent sheet used;

Fig. 14 is a view in side elevation of another absorbent sheet used;

Fig. 15 is a sectional perspective view showing the structure of theabsorbent sheets used.

Referring to the drawings, particularly Figs. 1 to'7, a radiator ofrather late type is shown comprising the sections 20 having thesupporting leg portions 20a and the bosses 20?) at the top and bottom,which are arranged in contact for connecting the sections, said sectionsbeing hollow. The sections, as well understood, carry the heating mediumand in the type, disclosed said sections are provided with a pluralityof vertically extending narrow slots 200, the radiatorillustrated havingupper and lower sets of said slots.

In accordance with the present invention, a receptacle 21 is providedadapted to contain a humidifying liquid, such as water, having thedesired sterilizing substances in solution therein. The receptacle 21comprises spaced, longitudinally extending, narrow portions 21a and anend connecting portion 216. In practice, receptacle 21 will be providedwith a supplying and regulating means for the liquid (not shown).Absorbent sheets are disposed in the portions 21a and while these sheetsmight be made in various forms, in the embodiment of the inventionillustrated they are shown as sheets 22 folded along their central orinter nediate lines into l -shaped formation, the same being supportedin the portions 21a by having their free edges received therein. Saidsheets 22 are provided with slots 22a in their folded portions and otherabsorbent sheets 23 extend between the sheets 22, being disposed in theslots 22a and extending over receptacle 21. The end portions of thesheets 23 preferably extend beyond the remote sides of portions 21a, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3. The receptacle 21 is conveniently supported inthe radiator by having the portions 21a extending through certain of theslots 200, as shown in Fig. 3, said portions resting in the bottom ofsaid slots. Viith the receptacle so disposed it is seen that the sheets23 extend between sections 20 of the radiator, as shown in Figs. 1 and2. It will be noted that the sheets 23 are engaged by the sheets 22 onlyalong a line or lines disposed on said sheets. A cover 24 is providedwhich encloses the top and sides of the radiator to a point belowreceptacle 21, said cover having spaced slots 24a therein preferablyalined with the spaces between the radiator sections 20. The cover 24also preferably has openings in its top, such as the holes 24?). lVhilethe absorbent SllQQJS 22 and 23 may be variously made, one convenientform thereof is shown in Fig. 15 and comprises a layer of metal screen25, such as commonly used in window screens, on either side of which issecured by some suitable adhesive, a layer of blotting paper 26.

In operation, water, preferably containing a nonvolatile disinfectant,such as potassium permanganate, will be supplied to the receptacle 21and maintained at a certain level therein. The sheets 22 will have theirlower edge portions disposed in this liquid and will become saturatedwith the liquid due to capillary attraction. The sheets 23 will alsoabsorb the liquid and become well filled with the same. The air passingupward through the radiator transversely therethrough, will engage thesheets 22 and 23 and absorb considerable moisture therefrom, Saidmoisture evaporating from said sheets. This evaporation will be hastenedby the heat of the radiator. A circulation of humidified air, therefore,will be caused upward from the radiator through the openings 2% andlaterally therefrom through the openings 24a. With the cover 24 removedthe sheets 23 can be readily removed and the receptacle 21 can beremoved after sheets 23 are removed, or by lifting said sheets andsheets 22 from the receptacle. In assembling, the receptacle 21 andsheets 22 will be placed in the radiator and sheets 23 will then beinserted in place between the sections of the radiator. It is obviousthat the absorbent sheets can be easily and quickly replaced. Thehumidifier is thus conveniently supported in the radiator and disposedin an eliicient position. The same is at the same time not exposedunduly to view so that a neat structure is produced.

In Figs. 8 to 12 a different form of radiator is shown which is of anolder type and comprises sections 30, which will have supporting legs atthe bottom (not shown) and will have the bosses 30a which are arrangedin contact when the sections are assembled as shown in Fig. 8. Thereceptacle 21 already described is placed upon the top of the sections30, portions 21a extending downwardly slightly below the top of theradiator at the curved upper sides of the radiator sections, as shown inFig. 9. 'W'hile the ab sorbent sheets 22 and 23 could be used, anotherform of unit is shown disposed in receptacle 21, which unit comprisesabsorbent sheets 31 extending longitudinally of the portions 21a; andupwardly therein. Slots 31a are formed in sheets 31 and while theseslots might be variously disposed, in the embodiment of the inventionillustrated they are shown as extending diagonally clownward from thetop of sheets 31. Sheets 31 are shown as having diagonally extending endportions parallel to the slots 31a. @ther absorbent sheets 32 areprovided, illustrated as of rectangular shape and as having slots 32aextending thereinto from one side. Sheets 32 are disposed so as toextend between sheets 31, the slots 32a embracing sheets 31 below slots31a and the latter embracing the top portions of sheets 32. Ahumidifying unit such as shown in Fig. 11 is thus produced and this unitmay be as long as desired or have as many of the sheets 32 therein as isdesired. It will be seen that such a unit can be collapsed intocomparatively flat form by skewing the same as shown in Fig. 1.2 tobring all of the sheets into substantially the same plane. The unit 31is placed in and above the receptacle 21 with the lower portions ofsheets 31 disposed in the portions 21a, sheets 32 thus extendingtransversely between and above portions 2141. A cover 33 is providedwhich has side and top walls and will be conveniently supported upon theradiator as shown. Said cover has a plurality of slots 33a in one sidewall and a plurality of openings such as the holes 33?) in its top. Thesheets 31 and 32 preferably will be of a construction shown in Fig. 15.

In operation the liquid used will be supplied to receptacle 21 bysuitable means and maintained at a certain level therein. This liquidwill be absorbed by the sheets 31 so that they will become saturated andthe liquid will also be absorbed from the sheets 31 by the sheets 32 sothat the latter will also be well filled with the liquid. The heat fromthe radiator evaporates the liquid from the sheets 31 and 32, the airmoving upward through and about the radiator coming in contact with saidsheets, particularly the sheets 32 which are disposed across the upwardpath of said air. This air passes outwardly and upwardly through theopenings 33a and 336 so that a circulation of humidified air isproduced. When the cover 33 is removed the units 31 can readily beremoved from the receptacle 21 and new ones placed therein when desired.

From the above description it is seen that I have provided a simple andeflicient form of humidifier particularly adapted for use with a heatingradiator. The device has been amply tested in actual practice and hasbeen very successful. An effective humidification of the air isproduced. The device is easily and inexpensively made and the same iseasily and quickly installed and can easily be maintained.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made inthe form, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, which, generally stated,consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects above setforth, in the novel parts and combinations of parts disclosed anddefined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is 1. A humidifier having in combination, a receptacleadapted to contain liquid and comprising spaced, longitudinallyextending, narrow portions, absorbent sheets respectively disposed insaid portions and extending lengthwise therein, having their lowerportions disposed in said liquid, and a plurality of absorbent sheetsengaging and supported by said first mentioned sheets and extendingtrapsversely therebetween above said receptac e.

2. A humidifier having in combination, a receptacle adapted to containliquid and comprising spaced, longitudinally extending, narrow portions,absorbent sheets respectively disposed in said portions and extendinglengthwise therein, having their lower portions disposed in said liquid,said sheets having spaced slots formed therein, and a plurality ofabsorbent sheets extending between said first mentioned sheets anddisposed in said slots thereof.

3. A humidifier having in combination, a receptacle adapted to containliquid and comprising spaced, longitudinally extending portions,absorbent sheets respectively disposed in said portions and extendinglengthwise therein, said absorbent sheets having their lower portionsdisposed in said liquid, and a plurality of upstanding absorbent sheetsengaging said first mentioned sheets and extending transverselytherebetween.

4. A humidifier having in combination, a receptacle adapted to containliquid and comprising spaced, longitudinally extending portions,upstanding absorbent sheets respectively disposed in said portions andextending lengthwise therein, said absorbent sheets having their lowerportions disposed in said liquid, and a plurality of upstandingabsorbent sheets engaging and supported by said first mentioned sheetsand extending transversely therebetween.

EDWARD C. ROSENOW.

